1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for measurement and precision alignment of shafts, rollers, axles or spindles, machine tools and their tools.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices and processes for measurement and for precision alignment of shafts, rollers, axles or spindles, machine tools and their tools have been known for a long time. One of these processes is based, for example, on measuring or aligning the aforementioned articles with respect to a reference plane or another such article with high precision using auto-collimator type devices.
Other processes are based on the teaching given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,491.
It is common to the known processes that the devices necessary for their execution are equipped with high-quality optical components, or that, in the production of these devices, special cost-intensive productions steps must be carried out. For this reason, a surprisingly large number of measurement tasks can typically be carried out with these devices.
The primary object of the present invention is to devise a measurement device with which precision measurements can be carried out with respect to the alignment of two articles, these articles being arranged flush to one another, i.e., having axes of symmetry or lines of symmetry which are parallel to one another. The articles are generally spaced apart from one another, i.e., they have a clear intermediate space of not overly small size.
A further object of the invention is to devise a measurement arrangement, with consideration of the noted spacing situation, which can be prepared especially more economically than was possible in the past, in addition has improved measurement accuracy, and furthermore, is not dependent on taking the measurement in several individual measurement steps or measurement phases, but rather produces measurement results using a single setting; this is considered a quite important advantage.
This object is achieved by measurement means and processes in accordance with the invention which is based on the fact that a photo-optical sender and photo-optical detector are combined with an optical device which, in a combined manner, provides for two reflecting optical elements which act at the same time. In doing so, a first reflective optical element is used in an innovative manner to detect a possibly present angular offset (in azimuth and elevation) between the two indicated articles (for example, axles, especially axles of machine tools), and there is a second reflective optical element to detect a possibly present parallel or lateral offset between the two indicated articles. (The parallel or lateral offset can also be detected in two coordinates which are perpendicular to one another). The two reflectively acting optical elements are oriented, fixed, and spaced relative to one another. In one especially simple embodiment of the invention, the use of lenses can be eliminated. The invention is, furthermore, based on the fact that the photosensitive flat detector is a flat CCD or CMOS array which has outstanding geometrical-optical properties from the start. This capacity to be able to detect more or less simultaneously several light spots on its surface, and at the same time, to deliver information about their intensity is used advantageously for one preferred embodiment of the invention.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which, for purposes of illustration only, show several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.